Director

Overview

The Center for Families, Children & the Courts (CFCC) within the Judicial Council of California is dedicated to improving the quality of justice and services to meet the diverse needs of children, youth, parents, families, and other users of the California courts. To that end, CFCC supports court programs designed to improve practice in family and juvenile as well as other case types and programs, including child support, collaborative justice, domestic violence, language access, treatment court users, housing assistance, services to address mental/behavioral health needs, representation, and services to self-represented litigants.

CFCC's mission is grounded in the judicial branch strategic goals of quality of justice, service to the public, access, fairness, and diversity. CFCC advances these goals by working closely with council advisory groups to provide courts with legal services, court services, research and information, education programs and resources, funding and service administration.

Under the direction of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and with input from the Deputy Director within CFCC, the CFCC Director position is responsible for developing and implementing goals, objectives, policies, and procedures in furtherance of Judicial Council policies and priorities. The CFCC Director focuses efforts on outreach and relationship management with courts, system partners, and tribes in California. This position also makes decisions governing the scope of resources, and work standards for CFCC, and is responsible for establishing and maintaining an effective management/supervisory structure that ensures high performance by CFCC as a whole. In addition, they will direct and provide analytical and legal counsel services to the Judicial Council and its various advisory committees in designated complex and often highly sensitive subject matter areas. The Director serves as key spokesperson and point of contact for CFCC.

The Judicial Council
The Judicial Council of California is the policy setting body for the state court system and has constitutionally conferred statewide rule-making authority. This authority includes developing, advocating for, and allocating the judicial branch budget. A majority of Council members are California state justices and judges; however, the Council also includes lawyers, legislators, and court administrators.

By enhancing its role as a leadership, knowledge, and service resource for the judicial branch, the Judicial Council’s staff organization seeks to continue to evolve as one of California’s most dynamic public service entities, focused on improving access to justice for all Californians by innovating and responding to the changing needs of the courts and the public. As a government body charged with improving the statewide administration of justice, the Judicial Council has multiple offices with diverse responsibilities relating to court policy and operations. As employees of the council, every member of staff should view and approach their work as one Judicial Council with a public service mission that is greater than the sum of its parts.

The Judicial Council strives for work life balance and includes substantial vacation and holiday time. In addition, we offer an excellent benefits package including pension, medical, dental and vision coverage, flexible spending, up to $130 per month reimbursement for qualifying commuting costs, and retirement savings plans. In San Francisco, the office is only a 7-minute walk from the downtown Civic Center BART station. In Sacramento, the office is located minutes from downtown, just north of Discovery Park, and includes free parking.

The Judicial Council offers hybrid work arrangements for many positions. The successful candidate will be expected to work in person at the Judicial Council’s San Francisco or Sacramento office at least two days per week and reside in the areas surrounding these locations.

Responsibilities

• Directs and manages programs and leads approximately 75 professional staff in the CFCC office in order to meet the operations needs and strategic goals of the Judicial Council and the judicial branch, including planning and directing work, policy direction, providing for internal staff development, training, succession planning and recruiting and selecting staff.
• Formulates goals, objectives, policies, procedures and work standards for the CFCC office in order to achieve the mission of the judiciary.
• Establishes programs and services that are responsive to the needs of courts and court users in the CFCC program areas.
• Directs, leads, and guides CFCC in the provision of program, legal, analytical, data, technical, and educational assistance to local courts and court-connected programs.
• Identifies and reports on new and emerging issues that may have an impact on the administration of justice and the goals and objectives of the Judicial Council and the courts.
• Directs and oversees analytical and legal counsel services to Judicial Council advisory committees and related subcommittees, working groups, and task forces where CFCC provide lead staff support.
• Ensures that work of CFCC is informed by and coordinated with the work of national and state government, the Governor’s Administration/executive branch, the Legislature, community-based organizations, justice partners, and stakeholders in areas such as child support, legal services, child welfare, alcohol and drug programs, domestic violence, and mental/behavioral health services.
• Maintains effective business relationships with court leaders, including, the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court and the Court Executive Officer, Presiding Juvenile Court Judge, Supervising Family Law Judge, and Child Support Commissioners.
• Provides leadership and guidance to optimize the integration and effective delivery of programs and services across the four management groups within CFCC, and effective collaboration with other JCC offices and business units.
• Sets the fiscal direction for the office by establishing funding priorities for CFCC staff and programs, identifies and maintains state and federal funding sources to support staff to the Judicial Council, JCC operations, and trial courts and court-connected programs.

Qualifications

Desirable Qualifications
Experience with court administration, court practices and procedures, and related legal and policy issues with special emphasis on family and juvenile law, domestic violence cases, child custody and child support issues, child and family focused collaborative courts, and self help issues.

• Familiarity with the state or federal court system.
• Experience with various CFCC programs including, but not limited to juvenile dependency and delinquency; child and family-focused programs; child support; child welfare and adoptions; family law and domestic violence; self-help for self-represented litigants; court interpreter program; mental health and behavioral health services; tribal/state programs’ Court Appointed Special Advocates program; and Community Assistance Recovery and Empowerment Act.
• Demonstrated experience in a leadership capacity developing and implementing organizational planning and setting strategic goals and objectives.
• Experience in managing a portfolio of programs funded by grant and other restricted funding sources.
• Experience developing and maintaining relationships with internal and external business partners and earning the trust and confidence of executive leadership, customers, and stakeholders.
• Experience leading and directing high-performing, multi-disciplinary teams to achieve business objectives, while promoting a fair, diverse, and inclusive team culture.
• Experience with state, federal, and/or local policies and budget and legislative processes.
• Experience with implementation of new legislation, rules and forms, and providing legal research, advice, and assistance.
• Strong oral and written communication skills and ability to represent the organization in public testimony and presentations to executive level audiences and stakeholders.

KNOWLEDGE OF

• Principles of effective leadership and management, including strategic planning, goal setting, negotiation, effective communication practices, conflict resolution, change management, problem solving, and performance management.
• Ability to manage a large, diverse organization, balancing the need to successfully direct operations while monitoring employee morale, and addressing those concerns as needed.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, regulations, and/or ordinances.
• Principles and practices of intergovernmental relations.
• Managerial and supervisory principles.
• Principles, practices, and methods of public and business administration, program administration and management, and human resources management.
• State, federal, and/or local policies and processes including legislation, budgeting, and contracts and procurement.

SKILL IN

• Ability to work in a politically sensitive environment, and balance competing interests of stakeholders, while maintaining effective working relationships.
• Ability to develop strategic partnerships with colleagues and key stakeholders.
• Effectively manage personnel and human resources issues, budget and operational issues, and multiple internal and external committees and projects.
• Effective facilitation and teaching skills, including communication within large and small groups, presentation skills, and facilitating effective meetings.
• Effective written communication skills, ranging from the ability to write concise documents and communications to authoring formal reports for the Judicial Council.
• Knowledge of the structure and operation of California courts.
• Managing, supervising, evaluating, and motivating staff.
• Strategic planning and the development and effective execution of department work plans that incorporate and execute organization-wide policy objectives and directives.
• Maintaining effective working relationships with colleagues, customers, business partners, and the public.

Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree, and eight (8) years of professional-level analytical or managerial experience in assigned function including, but not limited to, program analysis, development, implementation, research, and advising, including at least five (5) years of increasingly responsible management experience. An additional four years of professional experience as noted above may substitute for the bachelor’s degree. Or, additional directly related experience and/or education may be substituted on a year-for-year basis.

Other Information

Please note, if you are selected for hire, verification of employment authorization to work in the United States will be required.

How To Apply

To ensure consideration of your application for the earliest round of interviews, please apply by 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, however this position will remain open until filled. This position requires the submission of our official application and resume.

To complete an online application, please click the Apply for Job button.

The Judicial Council provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities who request such accommodation.  Reasonable accommodation needs should be requested through Human Resources at (415) 865-4260.

Pay and Benefits

Monthly Salary Range:
$13,417 - $20,125 per month

Some highlights of our benefits package include:

• Health/Dental/Vision benefits program
• 14 paid holidays per calendar year
• Choice of Annual Leave or Sick/Vacation Leave
• 1 personal holiday per year
• Up to $130 per month reimbursement for qualifying commuting costs
• CalPERS Retirement Plan
• 401(k) and 457 deferred compensation plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• FlexElect Program
• Pretax Parking
• Long Term Disability Program (employee paid/optional)
• Group Legal Plan (employee paid/optional)

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Judicial Council of California Is an Equal Opportunity Employer.